


Obey Me

by DreamsAndDaytime



Series: Hurt Cass Series [8]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Ella Enchanted Fusion, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:02:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26448250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamsAndDaytime/pseuds/DreamsAndDaytime
Summary: Cassandra has been cursed as a child. She has to do everything people tell her to. What happens when one command goes to far?
Relationships: Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Series: Hurt Cass Series [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1842934
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	Obey Me

**Author's Note:**

> An Ella Enchanted AU!

Zhan Tiri was frustrated. Ever since Lord Demanitus locked her up in the spirit world, she was unable to go through with her plans to take the sundrop and moonstone and conquer Corona. She had tried to get out of her prison multiple times, to find a crack in their dimensions that she could crawl through but there was none. The only way she could break free was through the clash of sun and moon but how was she supposed to wield their magic if she couldn't even touch anything?

That left the demon with no other choice but to haunt the halls of the royal palace while she thought of a plan. There wasn't much she could do on earth without a body anyway.

Until the kidnapping of a baby princess caught her attention.

An old minion of her had stolen the child away from her parents because the sundrop was now embedded inside the baby's hair instead of the flower. Zhan Tiri smiled as she watched the royal guards chase Gothel through the forest. The old woman thought Rapunzel's hair was the only way to conjure the flower's power but Zhan Tiri knew better. The sundrop was transferred to the child's heart and she knew exactly how to get a hold of it.

She simply needed a minion - someone who would be her arms and legs but no one in their sound mind would be willing to serve her. Even her old servants had abandoned her.

Of course, the demon had a little magic that was powerful enough to make people do her bidding for her but she could only control people if they allowed her to. It was much easier to use someone who wouldn’t hesitate to follow commands but what human would ever give up their freedom for someone else? Even the best lie would sound suspicious.

It was only when she heard another child cry that Zhan Tiri knew what she needed to do next.

Her grin grew even larger when her eyes landed on the little girl that once belonged to Gothel. Cassandra got carried away from her old house by the captain of the guards. This child had just lost the only family she had and her home all in one day. It wouldn't take much persuasion to get her to coöperate with Zhan Tiri.

The demon laughed. Rapunzel would leave her tower one way or another and when she returned to the palace, Cassandra would be waiting for her to steal the sundrop back while Zhan Tiri waited and let someone else do the hard work for her. This was perfect!

She waited for a couple of days before showing herself to the girl. Cassandra was on her own inside her new room, a sad frown on her face. She hadn't been able to adjust yet which was exactly what Zhan Tiri needed. The demon put on her best smile before floating in front of the girl. "Hello Cassandra. How are you?"

The child gasped in surprise from her place on the bed. "W-who are you?"

"A friend," she lied. "Or at least i'd like to be. Have you ever had a friend?" The girl shook her head. "Me neither but we could become friends if you want. No one would be able to seperate us. Would you want that?"

Cassandra glanced to the side with hesitance but Zhan Tiri had her already won over. She could just tell from her expression. "Don't be afraid. If you allow me to perform a spell on you, I won't be able to leave and we could be together forever. Doesn't that sound wonderful? You won't get pulled away from someone you love ever again."

The child's eyes grew large, exactly as Zhan Tiri had planned. "So," she continued in a sweet tone of voice. "What do you say?"

Cassandra nodded in excitement, her midnight curls bouncing up and down from the action. The demon grinned in delight. "Close your eyes, dear."

The girl did as she was told and allowed the other to cast a spell over her, a powerful magic that would make Cassandra obedient to everyone who wanted her to be. Her magic wasn't strong enough to make her obedient to one person so she had to generalise. She wouldn't be able to deny someone's request or say no for the rest of her life. Zhan Tiri had trouble not bursting out laughing right then and there.

"There you go," she said. "Say my name."

Something changed in Cassandra's eyes. Acknowledgement passed her features before she mumbled, "Zhan Tiri" without a second thought even though she had never heard of that name. This time, Zhan Tiri allowed herself to cackle in victory. She had her minion and when she was old enough to do her bidding, Zhan Tiri would come back and collect what she wanted. She just had to be patient.

***

"You're late again."

"I'm sorry," Cassandra mumbled when she walked inside the washing room. There was still a lot to do and she had been late this morning. _Again_. This time, her father had accidentally told her to wait before leaving the room. She had been unable to do anything but stand still and do as he told. The man had been so sorry when he walked back inside and realised what he had done. Even he had sometimes trouble to refrain himself from giving her orders.

Miss Crowley pushed a cart against her, overflowing with laundry. "Hurry up and get these cleaned before it's time for the king's lunch."

Something inside of her clicked and Cassandra did what she was ordered to. She filled a tub with water before washing the dirty sheets as fast as she possibly could. It were moments like these that she despised herself even more than usual. When she had been a child, Cassandra could get really lonely and sad. She remembered someone showing up inside her room with the offer to never depart from her again. Of course Cassandra had allowed the ghost to perform magic on her. She had been too sad to notice something strange about the situation.

There wasn't a single day since then that she wished things had turned out differently. Cassandra had told her father everything after she had discovered the truth about her curse. They had both agreed to keep it a secret between them and try to live like everyone else.

Except she wasn't like every other person. Cassandra could not walk inside a bakery without having to fear that someone would order her to do something by accident. She couldn't even make friends because they could discover her secret and use this power against her but worst of all; she was never able to become a guard like her father.

Cassandra had always dreamed of fighting for justice and to defend the people of Corona. She had even been trained by her father and showed a lot of potential but he didn't allow her to work with him. If a criminal managed to command her something that could get her killed, he would never be able to forgive himself. She could understand but it hurt.

The only job she was allowed to do was that of a handmaiden, something that she despised with every fiber of her being. This job was safe and wouldn't get her in too much trouble. At least if it weren't for one particular princess. Rapunzel had returned to the palace and Cassandra had been assigned to be her personal Lady-in-Waiting. They'd had their differences in the past but everything was more than okay between them now. Cassandra had become really close with Rapunzel and her boyfriend. It wasn't very smart to get attached to someone. The closest a person got, the easier it became for them to discover her secret but Cassandra wanted to have friends too. She would be carefull.

The same princess came barging into the room when Cassandra was almost finished with her work. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

She was still washing the castle's laundry. "What's wrong with you?"

Rapunzel eyed her as if she had just asked the most absurd question in the world. "The sun is shining and you are working so hard! I want to go outside and since you are supposed to work for me today, i figured why not just go out for a walk? I heard the bookstore has a new collection on water creatures!"

"As fun as that sounds, Raps, i have a job to do. I can't just go out and abandon everything because it's warm today."

"Not even if i asked you nicely?"

She shrugged unimpressed. "Nope."

"Well, i could just command you to!" Rapunzel laughed. "I'm going to be queen one day and i won't be so nice when that time comes!"

She couldn't help but laugh at Rapunzel's ridiculous tone of voice. "I can just imagine it."

The blonde quit her act and plastered a sweet smile on her face. "Oh, _come outside with me_."

Cassandra hated what came next. An urge inside of her made her drop the wet sheets back in the tub before stopping right next to Rapunzel. The girl blinked in surprise but she looked pleased nonetheless. "Oh! Alright then. I did not see that coming but let's go!"

The town of Corona was busy like usual. People were doing their groceries, bid at the markets and worked inside their businesses. Rapunzel dragged her friend inside each and everyone of them, buying absolutely nothing but they had a fun time simply exploring the city on their own.

"He is teaching me about all of this stuff but i'm not sure if i will be the same ruler as he is one day," Rapunzel said when they were walking through the streets of Corona. "Dad says that it's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them but what if i'll never get the hang of this? Ruling a country comes with a lot of responsibilities and a year ago, i was still trapped inside a tower."

Cassandra smiled. "Rapunzel, you have already shown so much wisdom and kindness. Those are your strengths. No one said that every ruler needs to be the same person. If you'll be yourself, i'm sure everything will work out just fine."

The princess looked way happier than she had been before this conversation took place. "Thanks Cass. That means a lot to me."

She took a bite of her muffin. "Besides, it's not like you're going to be there all alone. Eugene and i will be right by your side. Although i would advise you not to listen too much to him."

They both laughed at her joke. Rapunzel opened her mouth to reply when she looked down at herself. "Oh no! I forgot my bag at Monty's sweet shop! _Wait here,_ i will be right back!"

"No, Rapunzel! Don't make me-"

The girl was already running off towards her destination, leaving Cassandra alone in the middle of the road. "Great," she mumbled to herself in frustration. Now she wasn't able to move anywhere until Rapunzel got back. This was just her life.

She was pouting like a child with her arms crossed over her chest when a sound caught her attention. A horseman and his carrier came running down the road she was standing on. It didn't look like he was going to stop any time soon. He was probably expecting her to walk to the side like every sane person would but she was unable to! Cassandra was going to get run over if Rapunzel didn't return.

"R-Raps?" She said in a pitiful tone. "Rapunzel!" The horse wasn't slowing down. It simply continued to storm towards her. "Rapunzel! Help!"

She closed her eyes and waited for the painful impact until long strands of blonde hair wrapped around her from behind before pulling her back, causing them both to land in the grass besides the pathway. Rapunzel grabbed a hold of her shoulders in shock. "Cassandra! Are you hurt? What were you doing there? Why didn't you move?"

She blinked back at her friend in surprise. Her blue bag was back around her chest just like it should. "I-i...," she stammered helplessly. "I was just going to. Don't worry about me."

Rapunzel didn't look convinced but she wasn't about to argue. She pulled the raven up before guiding them both back to the palace. This was going to be one awkward walk home.

***

It was a couple of weeks later when Cassandra and Eugene had another argument. This time he had played a prank on her and changed her shampoo bottle with paint he collected from Varian. Her hair was a bright pink, the most ridiculous color to have ever existed.

Eugene was laughing with her, tears in his eyes and his hands on his stomach. Cassandra felt so angry. Her hands were balled into fists by her side and she grabbed the front of his shirt in a vice grip. "I am going to _kill_ you!"

" _Do that to yourself,_ Miss i-never-smile. There is absolutely no way that you'll be touching this handsome face."

Her eyes widened. Eugene had no idea what he had just done and it was already too late to tell him the truth. The guy looked satisfied with himself. "Ha! Bet you didn't see that coming."

She was already loosening her grip on his clothes before turning around and leaving the room. He yelled her name in question but she couldn't answer him now. Her body was moving on its own accord towards the nearest item that would be able to rob her of her life. It turned out to be a balcony.

The thought made her shiver. Cassandra was about to kill herself and no one would be able to stop her. This was it. This was the moment that she had been dreading for her whole life. She was going to die by her own hands without ever getting the chance to say goodbye to her friends and family.

The nearest balcony was the one looking out over the training field. Her father was moving a couple of crates when she appeared above him and put one foot on the railing. Her heart was beating wild in her chest and sweat had started to appear on her forehead. Silently, she whispered, "i'm sorry" to herself before putting her other foot next to the other one.

_Help me._

The fall looked so long. She hoped that the impact with the ground wasn't going to hurt that much and kill her immediately.

_Please._

She closed her eyes before slowly moving her weight forward. Cassandra was about to lose her balance when a familiar voice shouted for her to stop. The reaction was instantaneous. Her whole body came to a stop and she was able to stand still.

Her father was looking up from below with worried eyes. "Go back and wait for me!" He shouted before disappearing into the palace.

She did as she was told and waited until he came running through the doorway. His arms were around her in a second. Cassandra cried into his shoulder, the shock of the situation still embedded in her heart.

He held her as close as possible. "You scared me, Cassandra! Who did this? Who gave you the order to jump?"

She shrinked into herself when they parted. "Eugene didn't mean to. It was just an accident. I promise."

The captain put a lock of raven hair behind her ear. "This is getting dangerous, sweety. If i hadn't been there..."

"But you were and nothing happened."

"Maybe next time i won't." He sighed. "I think it's best to stay away from your friends as much as possible."

"What!" She shouted. "Dad, i can't ignore them. They're my friends! I've never even had friends before in my life! You can't take that away from me!"

"I can't take this curse away either. Unless we find a solution to your problem, we need to be careful and prepared for the worst case scenarios."

She frowned down at her lap. This was so unfair. If only she had never made that stupid deal with Zhan Tiri. Cassandra felt so lost and stupid. She wanted to make her own decisions in life and be free! This whole situation made her feel so awful.

Without a word, she jumped to her feet and ran into the hallway. On her way to her room, she bumped into Rapunzel who called out to her but Cassandra ignored her. She really needed to be alone right now.

When she arrived at her destination, she shut the door and cried. She had always hated weakness and crying was definitely one of them but the tears just kept on coming. She felt so lost and helpless. If only there would be a way to break free from this spell. She would be able to be with her friends and work a better job in no time!

A moment passed before a bright light erupted in the small room. Cassandra held her eyes shut until it dissipated and she could see again. A girl with a familiar face and blue edges was floating in front of her. Her feet didn't reach the floor and a twisted smile crossed her features.

"Hello Cassandra. How have you been?"

Her heart beat faster when she heard her voice. Impossible. "You," she mumbled in shock. "You did this to me!"

Zhan Tiri shrugged. "I wasn't wrong, was i? Because of this spell, i will always return to you. I have big plans for both of us."

Anger boiled through her veins. "You need to take this magic back! I can't live like this anymore!"

"Why would i do that? You are perfect this way! We will have so much fun together."

Cassandra didn't know what to do. After years, she was finally meeting the person again who had done this to her but she couldn't even fight her! Her sword would go right through her dress. There was only one thing left to do.

"Please," she begged. "I will do anything you want!"

"You already will, dear!" The girl cackled in satisfaction. "Which is exactly why i'm here. You see, there is a reason i have performed this spell on you all those years ago and now that you're friends with the princess, i couldn't have been more pleased!"

A bad feeling washed over her. "W-what do you want me to do?"

The smile on Zhan Tiri's face widened even more if that was possible. "You are going to kill Rapunzel before midnight and bring me the sundrop from her heart."

"NO!" She was on her feet in a matter of seconds. "No, i won't do it!"

"We both know that's a lie."

Her chest squeezed with emotion and her whole body started to tremble. This couldn't be happening. After everything, this was the worst thing to happen to her yet. She was so scared.

"Please," she begged again. "Please, don't make me do this! Take it back!"

Zhan Tiri floated out of reach, her expression never wavering. "I cannot do that, love. I need that heart and you are going to give it to me."

The girl showed her back to the raven before halting in her steps. "Oh! Before i forget: you won't be telling anyone about this plan. Now, let me do you one favor."

Cassandra fell through her knees before Zhan Tiri snapped her fingers. Her raven locks were back in place instead of Eugene's pink hair dye. She would rather have to wear this color for the rest of her life than kill her best friend.

The ghost chuckled. "Blue would suit you much better."

Cassandra opened her mouth to shout but the girl had suddenly vanished. Now she really wished her father had stopped her from jumping earlier. If she had, Rapunzel wouldn't die. The fact that she was the one to kill her, made her hate herself even more. Cassandra gripped her hair and screamed into her lap.

***

The castle was quiet when Cassandra made her way to Rapunzel's bedroom. Her heart had never beat so fast before and her hands were clammy with sweat. She could feel the dagger underneath her sweater like a burning object, a silent threat hanging on her belt.

There was no way around this. She had tied herself up earlier against a lantern but Zhan Tiri had simply come along and made the rope disappear. There was no solution left. Her life would be filled with regret in a couple of minutes and Rapunzel would be gone forever.

The thought made her heart clench in pain.

The princess opened the door after Cassandra knocked. The smile that appeared over her face made the situation even worse. "Cass! What are you doing here? I was just about to sleep."

"Yeah... I needed to talk to you," she lied. The truth wasn't coming out of her throat no matter how hard she tried.

"Of course! Come on in."

The door shut behind them. Cassandra bit the inside of her cheek anxiously. Rapunzel was saying something but she hadn't been paying attention. It was only when a painting of Eugene's face appeared in front of her own, that she blinked in surprise. "W-what?"

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow. "I asked what you thought of my gift for Eugene. It's almost finished."

"Oh!" She replied clumsily. "It's... alright."

"Alright?" It was Rapunzel's turn to blink in surprise. "That's the nicest thing you have ever said about him. Is something wrong?"

"No, no! I..." Her throat choked up. Cassandra could feel a new wave of tears threatening to fall down her cheeks yet again.

Rapunzel put her work to the side before taking Cassandra's hands in her own. "You're shaking. What's on your mind?"

_Hurting you._

"I... I can't tell you."

"Cass, you always do this but i want you to know that you can trust me. It's okay to be upset sometimes. No one is going to think less about you. Especially since it's only the two of us here," She laughed.

The warrior shook her head, more tears dripping onto the floor. She couldn't look Rapunzel in the eyes when she was about to do something horrible within the next minute. Her friend simply smiled at her, completely unaware of the danger that she had just allowed into her room.

"It's okay," she mumbled before pulling Cassandra into a hug. "Whatever it is, we'll get through this together. I won't leave."

A choked sob escaped her lips. Cassandra held onto Rapunzel while she raised her dagger into the air. It was almost time. She could hear the belltower in the city counting down the seconds before midnight. There was no going back now.

It took an alarmed squeak from Pascal in the corner to cause Rapunzel to look up. The girl gasped before she slipped out of Cassandra's hold but she wasn't fast enough. The raven moved out of her own accord and pulled Rapunzel towards her by her long hair. The princess tried to land a few kicks but she was no match for Cassandra who had been trained for combat since she was six.

Rapunzel landed with her back against Cassandra's chest as they both hit the wall. The dagger hovered in front of Rapunzel's throat as she held her friend in a vice grip. Pascal ran out of the room but she didn't pay him any mind. Her thoughts were focused on the job she had to finish before the last stroke of the clock.

"C-Cass," Rapunzel whimpert against her. She was trying to move as far away from the weapon as possible but there wasn't much space left to move into. "Please! Stop this! You're scaring me!"

She couldn't answer. Millions of thoughts flooded into her mind. Cassandra thought about Zhan Tiri and her sinister smirk, about her father who loved her and simply wished the best for her. About all the people she was letting down and the bad choices she was forced to make.

_I think it's best to stay away from your friends as much as possible._

_You are going to kill Rapunzel before midnight and bring me the sundrop from her heart._

_Whatever it is, we'll get through this together. I won't leave._

_I won't leave._

A mirror on the other side of the room caught her attention. Cassandra was disgusted by the image that greeted her - her friend scared and helpless with a knife pressed to her throat. Her knife. She had to do something. With all of her willpower, she whispered to her own reflexion, "you will no longer be obedient."

Rapunzel side eyed her in confusion before Cassandra spoke up louder for the second time. "You will no longer be obedient!"

Two guards burst through the door, Pascal on their heels. The dagger fell down to the floor just like Cassandra herself. The magical pull inside of her that demanded her to kill her friend was gone, replaced by a peace she couldn't recall ever having. "I'm free," she whispered with a smile on her face. "I'm free!"

The guards weren't paying any attention to her words. They hauled Cassandra up before walking her towards the hallway. "Wait!" She shouted over her shoulder. "Rapunzel! It's not what it looks like! You have to believe me!"

Rapunzel didn't say anything. She was looking at her friend with a strange expression on her face, a mixture between shock and confusion. Cassandra tried to call out to her for the second time but her next words were cut off by the door closing behind them.

***

Everything was quiet that evening. Cassandra hugged herself in her cold cell. As sad as she was, she couldn't help but feel relieved. Rapunzel was still alive and she had found a way to free herself from Zhan Tiri's curse! It was a shame that she would be sentenced to death after everything that happened.

The door opened suddenly. The raven looked up into the caring eyes of her father. "Dad!"

The man embraced her warmly. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm free, dad. I managed to break the curse all by myself."

Her father couldn't stop smiling. "I'm so proud of you."

"What's going to happen now?"

"You don't have to worry. I'll explain the whole situation to the princess and you'll be out of here in no time."

She bit her lip. "I almost killed Rapunzel. I commited treason. There are even witnesses! I'm not sure if this will work out so smoothly."

The captain thought for a moment. "Who gave you that order?"

She really didn't want to have this conversation. "The same person who gave me this damned spell. Her name is Zhan Tiri but that's everything i know about her."

"We might have to look into that name."

The door opened then. Cassandra and her father were surprised when Rapunzel entered the room, accompanied by Stan and Pete.

Her father stepped forward. "Princess, if i may-"

"It's alright, Captain. I just want to talk to Cassandra privately."

He looked adamant to leave his daughter alone but led his colleagues out of the cell with him anyway. Silence filled the room when the door shut closed. Cassandra couldn't look Rapunzel in the eyes, the guilt too strong.

"So," the blonde spoke up awkwardly. "Last night was pretty strange, right?"

She kept her eyes on the floor in shame. "It's not what you think. I would never hurt you."

"I know which is why i don't understand what happened."

"Rapunzel... There's a reason why my dad wouldn't let me work with him or why i sometimes act differently." She took a deep breath in. "I was cursed when i was a child. Everytime someone commands me to do something, i'm unable to refuse and i need to listen. That's why i needed to hurt you yesterday because someone else commanded me to."

Emerald eyes widened. "So... That time when you didn't move for the horseman, you were actually unable to because i told you to wait?" Her expression morphed into mortification. "Cass, i am so sorry!"

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. Maybe if i'd told you sooner, you wouldn't have been caught off guard."

It was the second time Rapunzel hugged her in the span of two days. Cassandra welcomed the touch with open arms. It felt so nice to be able to speak openly about the curse. She hadn't dared to dream that Rapunzel would still be alive and actually _forgive_ Cassandra. None of this felt real.

"Come on," Rapunzel said when she pulled back. "I will speak with my father and explain everything to him. I'm sure he will set you free if he better understands the situation."

"You really think so?"

The girl shrugged. "It's that or facing a very angry daughter."

She laughed. "I know what i would choose."

Her father's face lit up when he saw her enter the cell beside Rapunzel. Pete uncuffed her with a relieved wink before they made their way towards the throne room.

Dealing with Zhan Tiri would have to come later. Right now, Cassandra had different problems on her mind but she knew that everything would be okay as long as Rapunzel was there to help her through them.

This time she was going to make her own decisions.


End file.
